Search - Maceo Parker :: Life on Planet Groove

Where is the bass Maceo?

K. Pavey | Melbourne, Australia | 06/15/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After reading the many 'rave' reviews about this album (and having the odd album of Maceo's already) I promptly followed suit and ordered my own. I must say that after listening to it I was fairly unimpressed.



Yes there is definitely some great funk on here and virtuoso playing. But, and here's a few butts for ya!



1) Where is the bass??? - I have a high end audio system and I would have to say that this is about the most anemic disc I have ever heard! The one very thing that funk needs is a solid backbeat and bottom end and this disc just doesn't have any. With any luck you can crank on the bass control on your system but why do we have to do this? The recording/mastering engineers should have known better.



2) Candy Dulfer - might be pretty but she doesn't add anything funky to this disc. Reminiscent of Kenny G and would have been better off this album.



3) Maceo's singing (assuming its him) - better spent wrapping his lips around a reed. Sweet Georgia is a tired old tune, not much for funk either and basically is a big lead sinker.



4) 'So Good' sped up wasn't very inspiring either and the original James Brown version (which he obviously would have played on also) just wipes it by comparison. Nothing inspiring with this selection.



I could go on, but these were the main beefs...



I'm sure the guy is great live, but this record, judged on its merits (rather than some memory of a concert of years ago that others seem to be recalling) is only average.



Cheers, Kendrick"